A CRITICAL STUDY OF CLINTON BENNETT’S THOUGHTS TOWARDS SIRAH OF THE HOLY PROPHET ﷺ

Sirah of the Holy Prophet ﷺ is the topic on which a lot of work has been done both in the Muslim and non-Muslim world. For Muslims it was the source of aspiration and adaptation for the practical purposes of social life while for the non-Muslims it was the source of inquisitiveness and understanding Islam as a successful religion in the past and present time. Therefore, Muslim enthusiastic interest in the biography of the Holy Prophet ﷺ developed and evolved into a regular science while the west has modified the knowledge of biography according to their own order of preference but within the same biographic precedents. Both have tried to reconstruct the biography of the Holy Prophet ﷺ historically, chronologically and logically. Clinton Bennett is one of the western scholars who has contributed not only in the Islamic literature but also the biographic field. His work consists of numerous issues in Islam. Whatever he has learned from Islam and the Sirah of Holy Prophet and thus concluded in the form of his own thoughts, he has expressed most of them in his famous five books for example ‘In Search of Muhammad’, ‘Muslims and Modernity’, ‘Studying Islam’, ‘Interpreting the Qur’an’, and ‘Victorian Images of Islam’ (doctoral thesis)’. This study focuses on Clinton Bennett’s work on Sirah specifically with his broader view of the subject. This research is descriptive and analytical in nature and presents a detailed analysis of the work it is based upon.

پاکستانی ناولوں کا ہیئتی، اسلوبیاتی اور ماجرائی مطالعہ 1947: تا 200

0 Present study comprises of following six chapters. First chapter consists of basic study of 'Form, style of novel and MAJRA'. It has been strived to define form, style and MAJRA. This is a foundation stone of present thesis. It determines a specific direction of the light of researchers' opinions. The topic of second chapter is 'Tradition of Urdu Novel in Pre-Partition Era — A Background Study'. In this chapter a number of novels from beginning to partition have been studied in the perspective of form, style and MAJRA. Furthermore, impacts of different literary movements on Urdu novels have also been analyzed. In the third chapter, analytical study of various novels from establishment of Pakistan to 1960 has been presented. Post-partition phase gave birth to circumstances of political upheaval and riots which stirred ideological and structural experiments in Urdu novel. Some renowned novels have been studied generally and 'ESE BULANDEE ESE PASTEE', `NAGRE NAGRE PHERA MUSAFIR', `KHUDA KE BASTE', `KHOON-E-JIGR HONE TAK' AND `AAG KA DAREA' have been specially studied on the basis of form, style and MAJRA. Fourth chapter consists of different novels written from 1960 to 1980. Partition, riots, political disturbance, large scale migration and martial law shattered foundations of entire society. Likewise social and cultural problems also metamorphosed. With the advent of these radical changes, literature as a delicate genre also changed along with bent of mind. These social changes personified in novel in new style, form and plot, thus, a number of novels have been studied specially focusing on form, style and MAJRA. In fifth chapter, selected novels from 1980 to 2000 have been critically analyzed. This era revealed Decca Falls, sectarian conflicts, linguistic and ethnic biases, advancement of media, bloodshed, frustration in youth, deterioration of peace and tranquility, political crises, mutilation of values and such other issues as well as bitter realities of life. All above mentioned facts are evident in topic, form, style and MAJRA. All these features have been studied and analyzed minutely in this chapter. Presently study is concerned with significant novels of 1980s like 'BASTE', `JANAM KUDNLE', `DEWAR KE PEECHE' and `KHUSHEO KA BAGH'. Sixth chapter presents overall analysis of selected novels ranging from partition to 2000 with perspective of form, style and MAJRA. Moreover, logical conclusions and recommendations have been presented.